Kering has hired Flore Larger as corporate communications director, effective Dec. 7, reporting to Laurent Claquin, group chief brand officer. She succeeds Paul Michon, who left the French luxury group to become corporate communications director at Renault Group.

Claquin confirmed the appointment to WWD and set out the mandate in direct terms. Larger will "define and lead Kering's corporate communications strategy," he said, working with his Image and Experiences, Community Engagement and Employer Brand teams "as well as the group's corporate functions, the houses and our communications and image teams worldwide."

What does the role cover?

According to Kering, the remit spans the full corporate communications stack:

• Media relations
• Influence and reputation strategy
• Crisis communications
• Engagement with institutions and industry bodies
• Development and rollout of the group's corporate narrative

Larger will also oversee communications tied to Kering's social and environmental commitments — a significant portfolio at a group whose houses face sustained scrutiny on ESG disclosure and supply-chain standards.

The brand stable she will support includes Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga. Claavin added that Larger will "help articulate Kering's vision and ambitions and strengthen engagement with its stakeholders, while supporting the distinctive identity of each house."

For a group managing multiple marquee labels, the structure matters: corporate communications sits at group level, while individual houses retain their own communications and image teams. Larger's role is to coordinate that architecture globally.

Who is Flore Larger?

Larger joins from investment bank Lazard Frères, which she entered in 2021 after 11 years at communications agency Image 7. Image 7 has historic ties to the Pinault family, Kering's reference shareholders — a connection that will read as relevant context for anyone tracking governance and influence networks at the group.

Her earlier career includes senior communications roles at Sanofi, EDF Renewables and BNP Paribas. Kering characterized that background as "combining senior positions at major international groups with strategic advisory work for executive teams."

Why the hire matters now

The appointment fills a gap left by Michon's departure to Renault Group and consolidates corporate communications, institutional engagement and ESG-related messaging under one director. Larger's crisis communications mandate covers territory where luxury groups have faced recurring pressure — from Balenciaga's 2022 advertising controversy onward — and her financial-sector background at Lazard signals a profile geared to investor and institutional audiences rather than consumer press.

Larger takes up the post Dec. 7, with group-level narrative and stakeholder engagement as her first deliverables.